In wake of hurricanes, hotel revenue in Hillsborough up 28%

Hillsborough County set a record for hotel revenue in October, topping $100 million for the first time.

According to the local visitors' bureau, Visit Tampa Bay, the occupancy rate for the month was 78.5% in the county, 14% higher than last year. The average daily rate was $166.21 and revenue per available room was $130.51.

In all, the hotel industry generated $101.71 million in revenue and $6.15 in Tourism Development Taxes, a 28% percent increase from a year ago.

In a statement announcing the revenue figures, Visit Tampa Bay says that while hurricanes Helene and Milton “caused short-term displacement into Tampa hotels, the potential disruptions in visitor perception is being countered with a major marketing investment in domestic and international markets.”

Left unsaid, however, is how the storm may have helped boost the hotel numbers.

Helene hit the area Sept. 26, and Milton followed Oct. 9. The combined storms, but particularly Milton, left thousands of homes seriously damaged and uninhabitable in the county and millions without power for several days.

It is not inconceivable that many who lost their homes turned to local hotels for shelter. Many may still be there.

A spokesperson for the Visit Tampa did not respond to a question about whether the increase in revenue and occupancy could be attributed, at least in some part, to the high number of people displaced because of the back-to-back hurricanes.